Search results for "Routine"
showing 10 items of 146 documents
Manualized cognitive therapy versus cognitive-behavioral treatment-as-usual for social anxiety disorder in routine practice: A cluster-randomized con…
2016
Abstract Objective This study examined the effectiveness of manualized cognitive therapy (mCT) following the Clark-Wells approach versus non-manualized cognitive-behavioral treatment-as-usual (CBTAU) for social anxiety disorder (SAD) in routine practice. Methods Forty-eight private practitioners were recruited within a multi-center trial and either received training in manualized CT for SAD or no such training. Practitioners treated 162 patients with SAD in routine practice (N = 107 completers, n = 57 for mCT, n = 50 for CBTAU). Social anxiety symptoms (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale; LSAS) and secondary measures were assessed before treatment, at treatment-hour 8, 15, and 25, at end of tre…
Missing Cases of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infection of the Central Nervous System When the Reller Criteria Are Applied for HSV PCR Testing: a Multi…
2019
ABSTRACT Previous studies suggested that herpes simplex virus (HSV) PCR testing can be safely deferred in patients with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell (WBC) counts and protein levels as long as they are older than 2 years of age and are not immunocompromised, the so-called Reller criteria. In this multicenter study, we retrospectively assessed the validity of these screening criteria in our setting. A total of 4,404 CSF specimens submitted for HSV PCR testing to the respective microbiology laboratories at the participating hospitals between 2012 and 2018 were included. Six commercially available HSV PCR assays were used across the participating centers. Ninety-one of the …
Detection of gastric atrophy by circulating pepsinogens: A comparison of three assays.
2017
Background Circulating levels of pepsinogens have been used in high gastric cancer-risk Asian and European populations to triage endoscopic evaluation for more severe pathology. There are different analytic methods with uncertain correlations. We therefore compared diagnostic performance of three commonly used pepsinogen assays to detect histologically confirmed gastric atrophy. Methods We tested plasma samples from adult patients with (n=50) and without (n=755) moderate or severe gastric corpus atrophy, as determined histologically by consensus of three expert pathologists. A single laboratory measured pepsinogens I (PgI) and II (PgII) using commercially available assays: two ELISA assays …
The Candy Smell Test in Clinical Routine
2011
Background The “Candy Smell Test” (CST) has been introduced as a new testing method for the evaluation of the human sense of smell. In contrast to other established orthonasal smell tests, the CST addresses the retronasal application of odors, typical for food aroma effects during mastication and swallowing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CST in a clinical setting in patients with olfactory dysfunction and normal controls against the Sniffin’ Sticks test. Furthermore, cutoff points for normal and pathological results in the CST should be determined. Methods The olfactory performance of 96 patients presenting with olfactory disorders and 71 healthy controls was evaluated with the …
Role of the GALAD and BALAD-2 Serologic Models in Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Prediction of Survival in Patients.
2016
Background & Aims GALAD and BALAD-2 are statistical models for estimating the likelihood of the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in individual patients with chronic liver disease and the survival of patients with HCC, respectively. Both models use objective measures, particularly the serum markers α-fetoprotein (AFP), AFP-L3, and des-γ-carboxyprothrombin. We aimed to validate these models in an international cohort of patients with HCC and assess their clinical performance. Methods We collected data on cancer diagnosis and outcomes of 6834 patients (2430 with HCC and 4404 with chronic liver disease) recruited from Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong. We also collected data from 229 pati…
Body Mass Index and Liver Stiffness Affect Accuracy of Ultrasonography in Detecting Steatosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 I…
2013
Background & Aims: Few studies have evaluated the accuracy of ultrasonography in detecting steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. We assessed its accuracy in detecting steatosis and factors that affect its diagnostic performance in consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1infection. Methods: We analyzed data from 515 patients with chronic hepatitis C, confirmed by liver biopsy, assessing anthropometric, biochemical, metabolic, virologic, and ultrasonography features. Transient elastography was performed to measure liver stiffness. Steatosis was identified with ultrasonography based on detection of a bright liver echo pattern. Results: Ultrasonography identified…
Vitamin D kinetics in the acute phase of critical illness: A prospective observational study.
2017
Abstract Purpose The objective of this study was to assess the vitamin D kinetics in critically ill patients by performing periodic serum vitamin D measurements in short time intervals in the initial phase of a critical illness. Materials and methods We performed vitamin D serum measurements: at admission and then in 12-hour time intervals. The minimum number of vitamin D measurements was 4, and the maximum was 8 per patient. Results A total of 363 patients were evaluated for participation, and 20 met the inclusion criteria. All patients had an initial serum vitamin D level between 10.6 and 39 ng/mL. Nineteen patients had vitamin D levels between 10 and 30 ng/mL, which means that they had v…
Is Routine Preoperative Upper Endoscopy in Gastric Banding Patients Really Necessary?
2006
Background: Preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery is complex. Our investigation focused on the necessity for upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy as a routine procedure before performing gastric banding. Methods: A consecutive series of 145 patients underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Gastroscopy was performed routinely before LAGB. All patients were interviewed before gastroscopy regarding gastroesophageal symptoms. Gastroscopic findings and the results of the interview were blinded and set in comparison. Furthermore, we analyzed whether upper GI symptoms, BMI, age or gender were predictive parameters for pathological findings on gastroscopy. Small hiatal her…
Improved effectiveness from individualized dosing of self-administered biologics for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis: a 5-year retrospe…
2019
Background: Biologics for moderate-to-severe psoriasis are expensive and treatment substitutions may vastly increase cost. Moreover, administration regimens in routine practice may differ from recommended guidelines. Objectives: To evaluate long-term effectiveness, regimen, drug-survival, and efficiency of self-administered biologics in clinical practice. Methods: We performed a 5-year retrospective study in 72 patients (44 ± 14 years old) with moderate-to-severe psoriasis at the University Hospital La Plana (Vila-real, Spain), treated with subcutaneous biologics. We determined the effectiveness (PASI 75 or PASI < 5), and drug-survival using Kaplan-Meier estimates, and analyzed reasons for …
The Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (AE-QoL) - assessment of sensitivity to change and minimal clinically important difference
2016
Background The Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (AE-QoL) has recently been developed and validated as the first specific patient-reported outcome tool to assess quality of life (QoL) impairment in recurrent angioedema patients. As of yet, its sensitivity to change and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) have not been established. Methods Recurrent angioedema patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria or hereditary angioedema were repeatedly asked to complete the AE-QoL along with the SF-12 and other anchors for QoL impairment and disease activity during routine care visits. The sensitivity to change of AE-QoL was determined by correlating changes in its scores over time …